Improvement in beeast-pads



uitrit vtrates getraut @frn RICHARD COLLINS; or unicorns Assiettes To AARON eLoRD, or

SPRINGFIELD,- Mnssncnusnrrs.

Lettera Patent No. 'T2-,802, dated .December 31, 1367.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREAST-PADS.

To ALL WHoM rr MAY eoNonnN:

Be it known that-I, RICHARD' COLLINS, o f Chicopee, county ot" Hampden, und Commonwealth of' Massachusetts,have invented a new and useful Improved Di'ess-Fitter or Pad;` and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,r making a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention,

Figure 2 is a section th'rough line A B of iig. 1, and

Figure 3 is a ,section through line C D of g. 1.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction and arrangement of a dress-fitter or air-pad, whereby said dress-fitter or pad shall be adjustable to any desired degree of fullness oir size, and shall always retain its original elasticity and pliability.

Su'ch articles of wearing-apparel have heretofore been made by being stuffed with some elastic material, sol that they have not been capable of being adjusted to any desired size, and they alsoscon become packed and hardened by constant wear and use.

In my invention, I entirely overcome these objections without greatly enhancing the cost of manufacture.

I also obviate the objectipns to rubber pads or bags, which would distend, when inliated, in every direction and would not, therefore, preserve the form intended to be 'given them, and they would serve only slightly the purpose of a dress-fitter in producing any artificial appearance desired, or disguising natural defects in-the human form. In myinventiou, the appearance of natural shape is preserved'after'inflation of the pad, thev latter being provided with a rigid base, which strengthens and supports it, and is the basis on which the pad is constructed,

That others skilled in the art may be able to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and application to use. i

In the drawings,-a represents the base of the fitter, which should consist of some material rsuiiciently stifi` and rigid to prevent its being drawn or forced out of its original and. proper shape by the action of the air in front 'of it, and to also assist in keeping and holding the breast ofthe wearer iniits proper and natural position. Said base a may be cut out in such form, and folded or bent and secured in such manner, as that it shall bein the form of a ilattened cone, its base to be next the wearer in use; or a dat piece of said stiff' material 'muy be subjected to the action of a former or die,.or struck up' so that it shall be concave uponits back side, andconvex upon its front side, and circular in forin, if desirable. AA piece of airtight .or rubber cloth, b, is next made a little larger in diameter, so that its outer edge shall yproject a little distance b eyond the edge of the base a all around, said rubber cloth 6 being securely cemented to thc back side of the base a. If it should be' desirable to make said padsin pairs, or double, they are connected bynneansoi` the neck c, which consists of two pieces of air-tight or rubber cloth, n o, their surfaces placed together, and firmly cemented at or nearthcir edges d d, the intlating-tube i being at the same time placed between said pieces n o, and secured therein ina firm and air-tight manner, leaving a narrow space, e, in the middle, and running longitudinally along the neck c between said pieces n 0,which' is not closed. This space e serves as a passage for the air from the intlatingtube z' into the spaceg of the fitter. The end, 7L, of said neck cis then cemented securely to the front of the edge of the base a and buck b, in such manner that when the front piece Z is secured to' the back said neck c shall be enclosed between the front Z and the back b, its air-passage e communicating with the space g. 'The front Z is then formed'of a similar shape to that of the base a and back b, but somewhat larger in diameter, toallow of its being suiciently distended beyond the base a, and the edge m of the front Z is firmly cemented to the fro'ntzside of the back b, where it is exposed around thc edge of the base a, and also to' the side of the neck c. The front Z, being larger than the base a, will stand'out from the base awhen inflated,` and the extent to which they may become distended when inflated may be varied, as the front l is made largerior smaller, pro portonatcly to the base a. The fitter, as thus constructed, may` then vbe covered with silk, or other desirable material, and trimmed 4according to the taste, one side cf iig. 1 representing the fitter as having the silk cover r and braid, tape, or ribbon a sewed around its edge.

If it is desirable to further Vimitate nature, particularly for ladies' use, a; small space around the centre of the front piece l may be made suiciently stiff'witb any suitable and endurab'le substance, either secured to orv incorporated into the cloth, und a false hnpple, 7c, may be struck up by means of a suitable foi-mer ordie.

This fitter may be.of any desired for-m' or size, and may be ns woll adapted to gentleniens :1s ladies use; and if, from any cause, it should be desirable-to use the pads singly instead of in pairs, each pad would ot' Course be provided with a separate neck and indeling-tube." l

My invention, as thus far described and illustrate-d,l is Ato be applied to the breast or breasts ofthe wearer,

vbut may readily b'e adapted for application to a'ny part of tbe human form, singly or in pairs, vfliere it is desired to produce an elevation of the contour, as the rigid buse can bc mdderormoulded of any form necessary for the purpose, and the inflaltng-tube would be connected directly 'itb the neck of suchpadi..

i Its operation is as follows: The inner portion of the infiatingtube is turned Vont slightly, and nir is forced into and through' the said tubez' and passage a of thencck c, until the itter or space g is filled with air to tbe desired degree, and the tube is then'turned in tightly, and the air thus secured witbin the fitter.

Having thus described my invention, what claim 'ns new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is- 1. An inflatable pad, having a rigid lbase and a flexible front, substantially as, herein described. 2. An inflatable dress-{itter or pad, having a rigid baseand flexible front, neck, and tlle'inilating-tube i, all constructed and operatingsubstantially :is and for the purposes herein set forth.

RICHARD COLLINS.

Witnesses:

A. Coomnee, T. A. CURTIS'. 

